Marriage
More than in other manga and anime narratives, '' Spice and Wolf'' plays with the idea of marriage as a source of possible joyful fulfillment for both Kraft Lawrence and Holo. However, marriage is also recognized as being filled with potential heartbreak, human uncertainty and the inevitable reality of their eventual separation via their loss by death through Lawrence's mortality. Love, Marriage and Cultural Expectations Love, of course, rises very early in the series, even in the suggested relationship between Lawrence and Chloe, and certainly in the central business relationship between Holo the Wise Wolf and the young merchant. This is not surprising since love is the universal theme found in many light novel, anime and manga series. However what is different is the constant questioning by others about Holo and Lawrence's official relationship. This is probably due to the medieval setting in which the church's influence is so great. But it also provides a direction for the two central characters. Throughout the story line, people inquire whether Holo and Lawrence are married. In fact when it is discovered that they are not, trouble occurs. For example in "Wolf and a Swirling Conspiracy" (episode 10 of season 1) the merchants of Ruvinheigen judge Lawrence and Holo as unfit for business for not being married. Later Fermi Amarti --seeing their non-marriage as a weakness--tries to steal Holo away with a marriage proposal (while also making the suggestion that Lawrence is forcing her to live in sin by being his traveling companion). Meanwhile, Mark Cole, the town merchant and one character in the anime who truly functions as Lawrence's friend, is notable not only for his "in-town merchant morality" but also for his happy marriage which Lawrence seems to find both amusing and desirable. His pleasure in their marriage may also be due to the fact that Mark's wife, Adele Cole,--in her confident, witty and slightly dangerous nature featured in barely a cameo--is more like Holo than say the sweet innocence of the shepherdess Nora Arendt with whom Lawrence is also sometimes attracted. Thus, Lawrence and Holo begin to overtly consider the question of marriage themselves, as can be seen by the both of them inquiring of Dian Rubens if there are legends of humans and gods coming together. Marriage as the Fullfiment of Love in the Future The end of season two of the anime has Lawrence proclaiming his love for Holo and her weeping in thankfulness that he has shattered her "foolish" plan (her term) intended to sever them. That put things on a whole new level, but what happens is continued in the light novels. Earlier in the series when Holo is desperate to avoid loneliness, she offers herself sexually in order to make children with Lawrence. It is unclear if she assumes a marriage relationship or not, but she runs into Lawrence's own sense at that moment that without marriage this is an impossible option. However, this suggests that she has inwardly come to terms with one of the greatest problems with them marrying, their uneven lifespans. She's nearly 700; he's 25. Clearly, she is not expecting him to provide companionship forever. In fact, Holo has come to terms with the vast difference of their responses to time. Her struggles over this issue come up in the dream visions when, after encountering those of her own kind, Holo also discovers Lawrence's skeletal remains. In spite of the certainty of heartbreak, Holo has told him she will nurse him when he is old. The topic of marriage needs further development, which includes knowledge of the light novels and manga. For example, Holo and Lawrence's pickup of Tote Col, an idealistic young man, as a traveling companion in book 8 (the end of the anime narrative) turns their group into an almost family. Beyond that, the future is uncertain, but as seen from the Fanbook cover included in this article, there is an image of Holo in a bridal gown and in another illustration seen below, she sits with what appears to be a younger version of herself. Daughter and Mother? Poor Lawrence! Here's another image I found on a Pinterest site dedicated to Wolf and Spice. I doubt this canonical as the other shot might be but is instead an example of a typical manga comic-exaggeration. Still it does remind us--as I found in WolfCountryNet--that "she-wolves" usually have four to six pups born together in a litter, and again I say, "Poor Lawrence!" ps. Holo and lawrence have a daughter named myuri she has silver hair like her father and is a bit of a tom boy. Category:Theme